The present invention relates to a holding device for mounting a resharpenable cutting element in a rotary cutter of a wood cutting machine, as well as to a rotary cutter of the latter.
Rotary cutters and holding devices of the above-mentioned general type are known in the art. A known holding device has a supporting member extending over a greater part of the length of the cutting element and having a web which is small as compared with the height of the cutting element and provided with holding tongues extending over a part of the side of the cutting element and having elongated openings. Tightening screws extend through these openings so that the supporting member can displace somewhat radially over the rear surface of the cutting element and be fixed. An abutment surface fixedly arranged in the body part of the cutter determines a projecting length of the cutting element and is located so that the supporting member loosely lies against the same. A wearing member is fixed in the body part of the cutter via a somewhat radially acting locking member and arranged so that the cutting element abuts with its rear surface against the wearing member. Finally, a centrifuging wedge member presses against the wearing member. Such a rotary cutter and its holding device is disclosed, for example, in the German Gebrauchsmuster No. 8,002,428. The cutting element lies with its front surface loosely against a clamping strip which is held in the body part via a locking member and is actuated by a centrifuging wedge member which presses the clamping strip against the front surface of the cutting element and thereby the cutting element against the wearing member. The cutting element is loosely introduced, together with supporting member screwed therewith, into an approximately radially extending insertion slot of the wearing member and abuts with assured abutting face of the supporting member loosely against the above-mentioned abutment surface in the body part of the cutter. In the above-described known construction, the cutting element is thereby held exclusively in a force transmitting manner. In order to prevent that the centrifugal wedge member which is pulled radially outwardly under the action of the centrifugal force changes the position of the cutting element in the cutter body and thereby the projecting length of the cutting element over the outer surface of the body part, the clamping strip between the centrifuging wedge member and the front surface of the cutting element which is form lockingly fixed in the body part is provided. The abutment surface which supports the supporting member is formed as a holding strip which is screwed with the body part and located, as seen in radial direction, under the cutting element as well as the supporting element. A peripheral recess provided in the body part for receiving the holding device must therefore be deeper than the width of the cutting element in order to additionally receive the above-mentioned holding strip.